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For Voters, Obama's Performance Remains A Mixed Bag

Voters remain closely divided over President Obama's handling of national security and economic matters.

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The survey of 800 Likely Voters was conducted on February 16-17, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 9-5% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Are Voters Warming Up To Congress?

While ratings for Congress are still nothing to write home about, they are more positive than they’ve been in nearly five years. But most voters still think Congress is a bunch of sellouts.

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The survey of 800 Likely Voters was conducted on February 18-19, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Middle Class Still At Odds with the Economy

In his State of the Union address last month, President Obama said, “The verdict is clear. Middle-class economics works.” However, most U.S. voters continue to believe the current economy isn't working for the middle class, although they're slightly more positive about the economy in general.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls).  Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter and Facebook.

The survey of 800 Likely Voters was conducted on February 16-17, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

32% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

Thirty-two percent (32%) of Likely U.S. Voters think the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending February 15.

This finding is down two points from the previous week. The week ending January 25, the percentage of voters who felt the country was heading in the right direction hit 35%, the highest level in nearly two years, but has been trending down since then. The number of voters who think the country is heading in the right direction has been 30% or higher since mid-December after being in the mid- to high 20s most weeks since mid-June 2013.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook. 

The national telephone survey of 2,800 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from February 9-15, 2015. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 39%, Democrats 38%

Republicans hold the edge over Democrats for the second week in a row on the Generic Congressional Ballot.

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The national telephone survey of 2,800 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from February 9-15, 2015. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Voters Like Health Insurance But Not If It’s Mandated

Most have health insurance they like, but voters still balk at the federal government forcing Americans to get this type of insurance.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 41% of Likely U.S. Voters think the government should require every American to buy or obtain health insurance. But a plurality (47%) disagrees and opposes the so-called individual mandate that is a key element of the new national health care law. Twelve percent (12%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 800 Likely Voters was conducted on February 14-15, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending February 14, 2015

Words, words, words. Words make a difference. Take “net neutrality."

It sounds good, right? After all, it’s “neutral,” and supporters, including President Obama and the Democratic majority on the Federal Communications Commission, say it will ensure that the Internet remains a level playing field. But critics who include congressional Republicans say net neutrality is really just a cover for government control of the Internet, and they don’t like where that leads.

Boehner and Pelosi Still Have More Enemies Than Friends

House Speaker John Boehner and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi remain the best-known and least-liked leaders in Congress.

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The national survey of 800 Likely Voters was conducted on February 10-11, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

34% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

Thirty-four percent (34%) of Likely U.S. Voters think the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending February 8. 

This finding is unchanged from the previous week. The number of voters who think the country is heading in the right direction has been 30% or higher for the last seven weeks after being in the mid- to high 20s most weeks since mid-June 2013.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
 The national telephone survey of 2,800 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from February 2-8, 2015. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Voters Still Rate Obama Poorly on Economic, National Security Matters

President Obama's overall job approval ratings may have improved since Election Day, but voter opinions of his handling of the economy and national security have not. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 40% of Likely U.S. Voters think the president is doing a good or excellent job dealing with economic matters, while 42% rate his performance in this area as poor. These findings have changed very little in weekly surveys for the past two-and-a-half years. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 800 Likely Voters was conducted on January 25-26, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 9-5% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 40%, Democrats 39%

Republicans have inched ahead on the latest Generic Congressional Ballot. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending February 8 finds that 40% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Republican candidate in their district's congressional race if the election were held today, while 39% would choose the Republican instead.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook. 

The national telephone survey of 2,800 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from February 2-8, 2015. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Voters Still Cool to Obama’s Immigration Plan

Voters remain opposed to President Obama’s decision to give amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants but have a slightly more favorable opinion of those who are coming to this country.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 37% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of the president’s new plan that will allow nearly five million illegal immigrants to remain in this country legally and apply for jobs. Fifty-one percent (51%) oppose the plan. Twelve percent (12%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 800 Likely Voters was conducted on February 6-7, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending February 6, 2015

Things are heating up for America on several fronts overseas, and voters don’t like what they see.

Voters Still Think Most High School Graduates Fall Short

Just a quarter of voters think U.S. schools are doing a good job, and that reflects in their views of the preparedness of today’s high school graduates.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 27% of Likely U.S. Voters rate U.S. public schools as good or excellent. Just as many (28%) rate the school systems poorly, but that's down from 34% in December and the lowest finding in two years. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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The survey of 800 Likely Voters was conducted on February 2-3, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

34% Say U.S. Heading in Right Direction

Thirty-four percent (34%) of Likely U.S. Voters think the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending February 1. 

This finding is down one point from the previous week which was the highest level of confidence since March 2013. The number of voters who think the country is heading in the right direction was below 30% most weeks for the past year.

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The national telephone survey of 2,800 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from January 26-February 1, 2015. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Rasmussen Employment Index Slips in January

The Rasmussen Employment Index which measures worker confidence slipped a point in January following two months in a row of six-year highs.

At 103.3, worker confidence is down from December’s 104.2. The index fell to a recent low of 81.2 in October 2013 but gained steadily after that. After the Wall Street meltdown in the fall of 2008, the index fell dramatically, hitting an all-time low of 57.8 in July 2009.

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The survey of 9,364 working Americans was conducted in January 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 1 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Generic Congressional Ballot: Democrats 40%, Republicans 38%

Democrats have a two-point lead over Republicans on the latest Generic Congressional Ballot. 

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey for the week ending February 1 finds that 40% of Likely U.S. Voters would vote for the Democratic candidate in their district's congressional race if the election were held today, while 38% would choose the Republican instead.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook. 

The national telephone survey of 2,800 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports from January 26-February 1, 2015. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Obama’s Full-Month Approval Up Another Point in January

When tracking President Obama’s job approval on a daily basis, people sometimes get so caught up in the day-to-day fluctuations that they miss the bigger picture. To look at the longer-term trends, Rasmussen Reports compiles the numbers on a full-month basis, and the results can be seen in the graphics below.  

The president earned a monthly job approval of 49% in January. That’s up a point from December and up two points from the three months prior. It also ties Obama’s high for 2014 reached in February and May. His monthly approval hit a two-year low of 45% in November 2013 during the troubled rollout of the new national health care law.

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Daily tracking results are collected via telephone surveys of 400 likely voters per night. The monthly numbers in this article are based on approximately 12,000 interviews each month with likely voters. The margin of sampling error is less than +/- 1 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

Voters Are Less Supportive of Government-Imposed Levels of Health Insurance

Voters are more critical of the health care they personally receive but still don’t expect it to get better under Obamacare. Most think consumers are better off with less government involvement in the health care marketplace.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 33% of Likely U.S. Voters rate the U.S. health care system in general as good or excellent. Twenty-eight percent (28%) regard the system as poor. This is consistent with voter attitudes since mid-2013. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls).  Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 800 Likely Voters was conducted on January 31-February 1, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending January 31, 2015

A more optimistic America plans to take a Super Bowl break tomorrow, but why isn’t President Obama getting more credit for our improving national disposition?